Non-metallic cable clamp for a beveled corner box



Nov. 26, 1957 E. B. CLARK NON-METALLIC CABLE CLAMP FOR A BEVELED CORNER BOX Filed sept.' 15'. 1954- Hummm..

\ l K Inventor-z Edward B.C|a'r`k.

5 His .endsof non-metallic sheathed cable therein.

United States NON-METALLIC CABLE CLAMPFOR A BEVELED CORNER BOX Edward B. Clark, Milford, Conn., assigner to General Electric Company,a corporation of New York Application September 15, 1954, Serial No. 456,128

2 Claims. (Cl. 285-129) The presentv invention relatesto a sheet metal clamp for use in an electric box such as an outlet box to Yclamp the This invention is specially adapted for use in a beveled corner box `Whereinthe cable enters the box through pryout openings inthe beveled corners.

In the past, beveledcorner switch boxes have been provided with vnon-metallic cable clamps .which fall into two generalcategories. There have been those which were fastened byscrews which are threaded into ythe bottom wall of the box and those in which thefastening screw extended through thebeveled corners ofthe box. Diiiculties have been experienced with some of these prior art v.clamps in attempting to clamp the cable vbecause :the yclamps would collapse or ybend out .of shape `under the force of the head of the screw so that the clamp would be in `contacttwithithe walls .of the box before a .sufficient amount of pressure was brought to bear on the cable end. Further tightening of the screw would not always move .the clamp against the cable, 'but would merelytendto strip the threads in .the tapped hole of the box. .This was true whether the fastening screw extended through the bottom or the'beveled corner of the box.

An Iadditional difficulty was experienced in the use of clamps using the fastening screw through the bottom wall :of Vthe box. In many types of non-metallic cableclamps kthere isanelongated hole provided to allow for a certain yamount of shifting action so as to .provide the most advantageous clamping force for diierent sizes of cable. When the screw is tightened in the bottom wall ofthe 1 box, there is no `tendency to forcethe clamp against `the transverse embossment is also formed on the clamp .to `preventthe buckling or collapsing of the clampy during" the tightening of the screw. VLanc'ings are formed in the clamp to bite into the sheath of the cable to resist any pulling force tending to withdraw the cable from the box.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a beveled corner switch box with a non-metallic cable clamp having a transverse raised embossment for preventing the failure of the clamp due to its buckling under the force of the fastening screw.

A further object of this invention is to provide a nonmetallic cable clamp for a beveled corner box with a fastening screw extending through a transverse raised embossment formed in the clamp so as to prevent the clamp from buckling under the action of the screw, as well as to provide a suicient area of contact between the lower edge of the screw head and the embossment to prevent the head of the screw from digging into the clamp tent O :andbecorning locked or bound before thesproper clampycorner switch box containing 'non-metallic cable clamps embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view takenonthe lines '2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the:switch boxof Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged `cross-sectional viewtakenon the lines 4 4 of Figure 3 to illustrate the action ofthe clamp in the box.

Figure '5 is a perspective View of the cable clampembodying my invention.

Figure 6 is a modiiication of the cable clamp of Figure 5,.showing a different type of iembossmenttforvpreventing the buckling of the clamp underthe actionot the fastening screw.

Referring in detail to the drawing in whichlikeelements kare represented by like reference numerals, .-10 represents a conventional beveled corner switch box of 5 sheet steel having a bottom Wall 11, side Walls 12 and 13 `and beveled corners 14. Generally, this vbox :is\forme'd with the bottom wall 11, the beveled corners 14 and-side walls 12 formed as one:piece.whilethe sidewalls 13'are two lat plates which areifastenedto the remainder of the box to form a standard switchbox. Oppositely extending ears 15 are located on the top edge of the` side walls 12 to serve as a support means Afora switch or outlet which is to be mounted Vinthe box. Tapped .holes 16 are located in the ears 1S to engage with yfastening screws (not shown) for mounting suchelectrical devices in the box. A pair ofpryfout openings 20 are formed 'in each beveled corner 14 to permit theentrance 'oflcable 28 into the box so that the electrical `deviceysuch asa switch or convenience outlet, may be included `in an electric circuit. A pry-out,.as 'the name timplies,-is 1a portion of the wall of the'box which has been partially stamped out to form a generally circularxopening. The

`stamped-out portion is then forcedback into the plane of the wall of the box so that,`during the installation of -the boxin a wall structure, the pry-out may be quickly removed to form a cable-entranceopening. Pry-outsare formedr in the walls of an electricbox to afford ready kaccess to the interior of the box and yet to avoidaunnecessary openings being made inthe box which might'allow ysevere arcing flashes to spread from'the boxvand cause are hazard. These openings are usuallyrformedinpairs in the side walls of a box and areslightly` displaced off kof `the bottom wall of ythe boxalthoughV inthe Lpresent instance the pry-outopenings 20 in vthexbeveled corners extend down to the level oftheibottom wvalli'ofthezibox.

The clamp 25 which embodies my invention is of sheet metal construction as is best shown in Figure 5. The clamp has a shielding portion 26 and a clamping portion 27 which is angularly disposed with relation to the shielding portion. Looking at Figure 4, it should be appreciated that when the clamp is assembled in a box the shielding portion is disposed generally parallel with the beveled corner 14 of the box while the clamping portion 27 is arranged generally parallel with the bottom wall 11 of the box to overlie the ends of the non-metallic cables 23 which are to be clamped in the box. A transverse raised embossment 29 is formed in the upper surface of the shielding portion 26 to prevent element 26 from buckling under the downward force of the head of the screw means 30. Because of the rigidity of portion 26, the

3 clamping portion 27 is also restrained from buckling as the screw is turned down onto the clarnp. A secondary embossment 31 is formed in the central area of embossment 29 around an elongated opening 32 that receives the screw means 30. The function of the additional embossment 31, which has a top surface that is generally parallel with the plane of the shielding portion 26, is to provide a dat bearing surface for the underside of the head of the screw. This is deemed to be of importance for it `has been found that if embossment 31 is eliminated, leaving only the transverse embossment 29, and the fastening screw 30 is tightened down, the head of the screw would have a point contact with the embossment and the pressure would be so great that the screw head would dig into the embossment thereby forming burrs. Ultimately the screw head would bind and prevent the further tightening of the screw to the necessary force to meet `the minimum pull test of the Underwriters4 Laboratories,

Inc.

Thus, it will be seen that the clamp fulcrums on the upper edge of the shielding portion 26 which bears `against the wall of the box. The head of the screw 30 serves as a means for applying a force to pivot the clamp about its fulcrum and down onto the cable 28 to be secured in the box.

The clamping portion 27 is disposed at an obtuse angle with relation to the top surface of the shielding portion 26,` as was previously mentioned. A pair of downwardly extending lancings 35 are formed in the bend between the said portions 26' and 27' to become embedded in the sheath of the cable ends that are to be secured by said clamp. The central section 36 of portion 27 is slightly depressed while the side edges 37 are rounded so that the clamping portion is generally adapted to conform to the cross sections ofthe two cable ends.

In Figure 6 a modification 40 of the clamp 25 is illus* trated. Instead of the transverse embossment 29 and the secondary embossment 31 there is substituted a single transverse raised embossment 41 which has a top surface that is generally parallel with the plane of the shielding portion 46 of the clamp. Otherwise, clamp 40 is of the same configuration as the previous clamp 25. Accordingly, there is an elongated aperture 42, lancings 45, and a clamping portion 47 having a central depression 48 and rounded side edges 49.`

It will be appreciated by one skilled in this art that I have provided a non-metallic cable clamp for a beveled corner switch box which is simple in design and readily adaptable to high production methods of manufacture while its most important feature is its rigidity and its capability of clamping non-metallic cable in order to pass the pull test of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. Also, this clamp is of such a nature that it does not tend to pierce the insulation of the cable and possibly create a short circuit in the system due to the large bearing area provided by the clamping portion. In addition, since the fastening screw extends through the beveled corner of the box, the screw does not extend beyond the bottom Wall of the box so that this box may be installed in a thin `partition which will only accommodate the depth of the box. In some prior art boxes, the fastening screw extends through the bottom wall of the box about 1/2 to which would prevent the installation of such a box in many low cost homes now being built with thin wall partitions. Furthermore, I have provided a clamp having a fastening screw that affords the maximum amount of leverage since the portion of the screw head which bears on the clamp is on the side which is the farthest from the fulcrum point of the clamp. Consequently, the clamp is not only being forced over the pryout openings but it likewise is held down over the cable ends to satisfy all of the requirements of a satisfactory clamp for non-metallic cable.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in this art and it is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed but that it is intended to cover all modications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A sheet metal clamp for positioning non-metallic cable in a beveled corner of an outlet box, said clamp comprising a shielding portion and a clamping portion arranged at an obtuse angle to the top surface of the shielding portion, a transverse raised embossment formed on the upper surface of the shielding portion for nearly its entire width, and a pair of downwardly formed lancings located in the bend between said portions and adapted to become embedded in the cable to be clamped, and an aperture formed in said embossment for receiving a fastening screw that is adapted to be threaded into the beveled wall of the box, the area of said embossment surrounding said aperture being parallel with the plane of said shielding portion.

2. A sheet metal clamp for positioning non-metallic cable in a beveled corner of an outlet box, said clamp comprising a shielding portion and a clamping portion arranged at an obtuse angle to the top surface of the shielding portion, a transverse raised embossment formed on the upper surface of the shielding portion for nearly its entire width, and an aperture formed in said embossment for receiving a fastening screw that is adapted to be threaded into the beveled wall of the box, a top surface of said embossment being generally parallel with the plane of the shielding portion, and a pair of lancings located in the bend between said portions and extending downwardly from the clamping portion and adapted to become embedded in the cable to be clamped.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,755 Russell Ian. 31, 1893 1,736,020 Thomas Nov. 19, 1929 1,829,776 Wright Nov. 3, 1931 2,378,529 Austin June 19, 1945 2,437,073 Carlson Mar. 2, 1948 2,688,417 Bowers Sept. 7, 1954 

